Nirvana were never afraid to break the rules. Records like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” exemplified this, where they challenged the status quo and radically changed the culture around them. In the aftermath of glam rock and hair metal, the band was a breath of fresh air for fans. But it also meant making a ton of enemies.
Nothing quite captured this energy like the 1992 MTV VMAs, where they pissed off everyone, from Axl Rose to MTV itself. It all started backstage when his wife Courtney Love remarked to Kurt Cobain’s rival Axl Rose if he wanted to be their daughter Frances Bean’s godfather.
Rather than address Love or plain ignore it, he threatened Cobain with a fight if the comments didn’t stop. “You shut your b***h up, or I’m taking you down to the pavement,” Rose said, according to AV Club.
Cobain essentially rolled his eyes and sarcastically told his wife to shut up. Then, Love and Rose’s then-girlfriend exchanged mean girl comments where the tension was thick as ever.
Later that night, Nirvana was slated to perform at the VMAs. According to bassist Krist Novoselic, Cobain really wanted to play “R*pe Me”. Naturally, MTV was adamant that they play literally anything other than that song. “I thought we should play something off Nevermind, do the gig, and leave. Easy, right? No,” Novoselic wrote for Seattle Weekly. “Kurt was very stubborn and refused to play another tune. There was quite a swirl around this issue.”
Nirvana Rubs Everyone The Wrong Way During a Historic Night at the 1992 VMAs
In order to get network execs and producers off their back, they finally resolved to play “Lithium” instead. Right before their performance, though, Novoselic nearly came to blows with Axl Rose’s Guns N’ Roses bandmate Duff McKagan right before they hit the stage. McKagan, clearly upset with the Rose and Cobain interaction earlier, tried to stick up for his frontman and gave him a piece of his mind. Had security not stepped in, things could’ve gotten ugly for Nirvana and Guns N’ Roses.
“I was walking toward the stage and came across my now-friend and colleague, Duff McKagan. I think Duff was also under the influence,” Novoselic recalled. “He must have heard something from Rose and had a terse word for me. I was already a little bent out of shape and instantly replied with the same sentiment. The production people grabbed me and we continued toward the stage.”
Once it was time to finally perform, Cobain and co. had a mischievous prank up their sleeve. Since they couldn’t play the full song, they strummed some of the chords of “R*pe Me” in order to give MTV a heart attack. Then, Nirvana made a rough transition into “Lithium” and trashed the stage afterward to really make their feelings known.
(Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images)
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